As winter approaches, dense fog starts spoiling people’s daily lives in North India and many other parts of the country. Road, air and rail traffic are directly affected. This time is especially difficult for train passengers, because trains run late by hours on many routes. But amidst this trouble, Indian Railways has given a relief to the passengers about which most of the people are still not aware. If your train is significantly delayed due to fog and you decide not to travel, you can get a full refund of your ticket.
As per the rules of Indian Railways and IRCTC, if a train is late by three hours or more than its scheduled time and the passenger does not travel, then in such cases the full fare is refunded. This rule applies to fully confirmed tickets as well as partially confirmed tickets. The special thing is that in this situation no cancellation charge is deducted by the Railways.
Terms for full refund
However, certain conditions must be met to receive a full refund. The first condition is that the train should be delayed by more than three hours at the station from where the passenger was supposed to board the train. The second condition is that TDR (Ticket Deposit Receipt) has to be filed online through IRCTC website or mobile app before the actual departure of the train. The third and most important condition is that no passenger listed in the concerned PNR (Passenger Name Record) should have travelled. If the passenger cancels the ticket before the train gets delayed or applies for TDR or refund after the train leaves, no refund of fare will be given in such cases. Therefore, it is very important to follow the right procedure at the right time.
Refund Process
The refund process is quite easy. The passenger has to log in to the IRCTC website or app. After this, they have to go to the booked ticket history and select the respective ticket. Here, they have to click on the ‘File TDR’ option and select ‘train late by more than three hours’ as the reason. After submitting the request, the refund amount is usually returned to the bank account within 5 to 10 working days.
relief for passengers
Overall, while train delays due to fog can be inconvenient for passengers, with the right information and timely action, passengers can save all the money on their tickets. Therefore, understanding the refund rules of Railways before traveling can prove beneficial for every passenger.
